Due to the British Columbia railway and highway washouts and mudslides in November, Canadian lumber production and capacity utilization rates fell drastically in December 2021.
Full-year 2021 softwood lumber production volumes across North America, however, improved somewhat over 2020.
Full-year sawmill capacity utilization rates across North America recovered from drops in 2020, but remained low in Canada compared to historical levels.
North America Softwood Lumber Production, Sawmill Capacity Utilization, WWPA: November 2021
US sawmill production as a per cent of practical capacity for 2021 dropped to 84%, compared to 2020 when it was 86%, said the Western Wood Products Association’s monthly Lumber Track. wwpa.org/reports
Ending the year with a huge decrease, Canada’s sawmill capacity utilization rate for 2021 was only 79% compared to 2020 when it was a very low 78%.